GASabresIUFAN

Yep. All players that you, me and nearly everyone here said should be gone this off-season. If we know they aren’t good enough, how come Adams didn’t know? I want stability in the Sabres front office, but Adams continues to prove he has no idea what he is doing. He needs to be replaced.

It’s time to move the Sabres franchise to Salt Lake, and for the NHL to give a new owner an expansion team in Buffalo under the rules utilized by LV and Seattle. There I said it.

This theory that no one wants to play here needs to end. Clifton and EJ signed here, guys who get traded to the Sabres like Buffalo and many Ontario players like being close to home. Do some (Most?) big-time UFAs not want to come? Sure, but it's not Buffalo but the fact that the franchise isn't winning. However, Johnny Hockey signed in Columbus. KA (or his replacement) can fix that roster through trade. I think most people would agree that we have 4 top-notch forward prospects. We also are going to have another top 8 draft picks. There are valuable assets that can be traded for immediate help. We also will have a ton of cap space heading into next season even after re-signing Mitts. Will certain trade targets have us on their no-trade list? Probably, but there are 600+ players in the NHL, and while 200 or so players have some kind of NMC/NTC most are limited, and many with the clauses will wave them to come to a team with the right opportunity for them.

At least 2023 ended on a high note. I won both of my Fantasy Football leagues.

I am perfectly ok with that. This season is done anyway. Might as well let Samsonov (if claimed) and UPL share the net, play out the season, and see if one emerges as one of the goaltenders for next season. At least we know that Samsonov has good NHL play in his pedigree and can hold down the net for 50% of a season.

The Bills play the Fish on Sunday night. Does anyone know the scenarios for the playoffs if G-d forbid we lose to the Fish? Being the final game of the regular season, the Bills will know what they have to do before the game starts, but I'd like to know who to root against on Saturday and Sunday.

I’m smelling a top 5 draft pick.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, they want 6.

So close to a 2 game winning streak. Ok, not really. Have we seen enough?

Didn’t think so.

R the Sabres playing tonight?

Waive, trade, release, punt, toss on the curb, or any other option you can think of for UPL. Time to move on.

Y’all are laughing, but when was the last time Buffalo had a goalie with 42 starts, a 2.33 GAA and a .919 save %? Those were Samsonov’s stats from last season. In his career he has played 146 games with a 2.77 GAA and a .903 save % and that includes his tough year this season. Ullmark gave us 117 games with a 2.78 and a .912. This would be a no risk pick up, who at 26 could end up being a steal. He is a UFA after this season.

We also know the Miami D has some issues we can hopefully exploit.

Claim Samsonov.

They weren’t great last night. They drew one penalty. For a team dominating time of possession but not drawing penalties is a symptom of the year long problem of not going to the net. This is further emphasized by getting 21 long range shots blocked. The 5 on 5 offense looked like our PP. Add defensive breakdowns that led to both CBJ goals. Honestly I don’t agree that they were “good” last night.

Why the snark? Because that is a team we should dispatch with ease instead of losing to 9-4 and then only slipping by them 3-2 in OT. When you struggle to beat a clearly rebuilding team it’s clear evidence that this team is exactly what their record says they are - bad. They may even beat Ottawa tonight. However, don’t get your hopes up that this is some great catalyst for a turnaround this season. This team still doesn’t work hard enough to draw penalties and doesn’t convert on the PP when they get the chance. The goaltending is very suspect and even when we do shoot the puck it’s often right into a defender (CBJ had 21 blocks last night). The problems with this team ultimately come from the incompentent management and coaches running the team. The TBN has an article about how raw the entire Sabres organization is from the GM down to the players with no adult watching the asylum. I really wanted the DG/KA to grow into McBeane on the hockey side, but the two team’s starkly different responses to their rashes of injuries has drained my hopium for KA/DG. Beane builds OL and DL depth in the offseason and gets Douglas to solidify the injury depleted secondary. They fire an incompetent assistant coach and the competent HC and new OC get the team back on track. All this with limited cap space The Sabres’ brass does nothing. KA didn’t bring in any O or G reinforcements in the offseason, despite having nearly the worst goaltending in the NHL and a glaring need for an improved bottom 6 forwards. When the rash of injuries hit his best forwards he added a guy who couldn’t earn a permanent job on the 2nd worst team in the East. I want stability for the Sabres, but with each passing game the DG/KA duo is providing too incompetent to remain. There is too much talent on this team to perform this badly. Changes up top are overdue.

Maybe the Bills can look at how the Boys move Lamb around the formation and see if they can find a way to get Diggs back into the game plan.

This explains TNT’s performance this season. Lack of sleep.

Fixed.

Yeah the 3rd worst team in the East beat the 2nd worst team in the East in OT. What an amazing accomplishment. They should be proud. Up next the worst team in the East. Could their 2nd 2 game win streak of the season be on the horizon?

That was piss poor.

Ultimately, things will only change when the goaltending is good enough to keep us in the vast majority of games. It’s really that simple.

At least Clifton and Johnson are real NHL players even if they aren't a fit here. You can't say that about most of his acquisitions.